NoVA guy

I was on an American flight yesterday and asked the flight attendant about what drink/snack options I had available to me as a CP. She told me that I didn't have any, besides the free stuff they offer to all coach passengers. I had been on 4 American flights this year and was given an alcoholic beverage and a snack with little challenge. The attendants were aware of this benefit. Surprisingly (and to her credit), the flight attendant did come back to me later and had her cellphone on the AA website and it did not show this benefit available to CPs. There was no mention of it. I asked her when this change might have occurred, she said there were program changes on June 11th. I looked at US Air and AA today and could not see this benefit listed any longer. Has it been removed?

dcpatti

My experience as CP on AA has been far less stellar than yours
I think it is very much a YMMV thing these days, regardless of what is on the website or not.

coswellnc

On the two AA Flights I've been on as a US CP in MCE, both flight attendants recognized me as "one of their EXPs" and offered me a drink and snack of my choice. One of them actually gave me two mini bottles of Titos Vodka when I declined a snack. Not sure if the manifest (or what ever they are referencing) reflected me as a US CP or an EXP but they specifically referred to me as a EXP and thanked me for my loyalty.

Obviously...I have no AA status of any kind.

iztok

CP shows as EXP (as long as your DM # is on there) and as such you are entitled to two items (i.e. two Tito's or one Tito's and one snack).

ubernostrum

My experience as a CP flying AA has been that I'm just another head in the herd to them. Only way to get decent treatment has been booking paid F.

dtremit

Maybe it does on the manifest, but I haven't seen it on my BP. (I was booked in F, so the free snack/drink wasn't relevant)

hginPHL

It should show you as EXP on the handheld machines that they use to take payment for snacks/alcohol. Some FAs notice it before I ask them to look, but I've never been made to pay. Don't even mention CP, that means nothing to them.

iztok

My BP showed EXP every time I flew AA and put my US DM # on. No issues. Granted I only had 4 flights on AA metal this year I think.

aamilesslave

I believe the policy is actually a 'snack' (any food item) and a 'drink', not 'two items'. Sometimes you get lucky and get a FA with a liberal interpretation of the policy.

fly747first

Right, technically it's one snack item and one alcoholic drink.

GNVGator

FWIW, I just booked a GNV-NAS on aa.com. The e ticket receipt that was sent to my email shows "FF#: USDM# EMD". Though I was allowed to pick MCE seats for free during the booking process...Maybe the boarding pass prints EXP, but if I recall correctly my GNV-MIA AA BP showed me as EMD, but that was at the end of April so maybe it's different now...

Go Gators

TwoDecks

My experience has been drink and snack so far this year flying as CP in Coach, so this is a surprise.

I am actually flying this afternoon on AA to Chicago in Coach (I didn't get the option to upgrade, I supect they only give us that new option if there is avaibility), so if I get the special treatment, I'll repost

Incidentally, my boarding pass shows me as oneworld emerald, but doesn't say EXP anywhere...

TwoDecks

FYI - just landed after BOS-ORD. Sat in coach as chairman, without asking FA said "hello mr. xxx, would you like a drink or a cocktail or a snack?". I grabbed the snack pack and had a Sam Adams, without any issues or prompting from me

NoVA guy

Wow! That is great news. I guess the system works in certain situations. The strange part is the comment from my FA (and my additional look at the AA and US websites) that this CP benefit on AA flights is no longer listed.

Just thought of another point that you raised in your original post, the upgrade opportunity for CPs is still not working. There were available first class seats the morning of my last AA flight. Called AA customer service on my way to the airport to see if I understood the new policy correctly. She confirmed I understood it and said I was first on the list and I should be given a First Class seat when I checked in at the airport. At the airport, the circus must have been in town b/c I only encountered clowns. No one knew anything. Great training! ;-) They clearly need to refine this new CP benefit. And finally, my boarding passes show CP, Emerald, but do not make any reference to ExPlat. Don't know how this gets on the boarding card

Robertsonland

I have flown 10 flights (8 after Jun 11) on AA with 6 of those having a first class cabin. All have had first class seats open when I checked in but not available for upgrade and no way to get on any list to upgrade. I asked on the phone, asked at the ticket counter, asked at the gate and asked in the club. The club lady even called "her guy" and he said that US DM members cannot get on the list. Only if they are open on the load factor to upgrade into are we able to get them. I've been upgraded one time in my flights from LAX to OKC and that was when I kept checking for the upgrade after checking in, it finally appeared. I've had FC seats go out empty and they won't put me in them because I can't get on the darn Upgrade Request list. I think it's crap they can get on the US list as AA members but we can't get on their list to stand by. If someone has a way to get on that list please tell us. No one seems to know how to do it and thinks we shouldn't be on there.

With regards to treatment on the plane, they haven't offered me anything more than "a drink" when they are going through the cabin with the normal service. Nothing about status or a snack on the longer flights. In 3 weeks flying to my new destination I've not reached her on time yet. First week a mechanical held me over by over 2 hours, next week a flat tire held me late by 2 hours and this last week a late arriving plane caused about a 30 minute delay which was pretty much on time with regards to the other flights I've had. I've also had a flight canceled and they didn't notify me. Then they told me my US Air flight was canceled, pulled me out of my First Class seat on that flight and booked me through Chicago going from OKC to PHX only to find out my US Air flight wasn't canceled and then had to fly coach thankfully getting an aisle seat after a ExPlat got upgraded to first cuz he was on the list I couldn't get on. I hope they fix it soon. So far I'm really not liking the new AA.